Bug 388153 - Settings page UX overhaul
Summary: Settings page UX overhaul
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: Discover
Classification: Applications
Component: discover (show other bugs)
Version: 5.11.4
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Aleix Pol
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2017-12-22 15:41 UTC by Nate Graham
Modified: 2017-12-29 14:40 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In:


Attachments
Mockup (463.96 KB, image/png)
2017-12-22 15:41 UTC, Nate Graham
Details
Mockup (single source) (123.35 KB, image/png)
2017-12-22 20:24 UTC, Nate Graham
Details
Mockup (multiple sources) (142.38 KB, image/png)
2017-12-22 20:26 UTC, Nate Graham
Details
Discover Setting Layout (189.42 KB, image/png)
2017-12-22 22:15 UTC, andreas
Details

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Description Nate Graham 2017-12-22 15:41:24 UTC
Created attachment 109484 [details]
Mockup

The Settings page's "Application Sources" menu has an unclear purpose and UI. Among the issues:
- It's not clear to the user what it controls. Does it choose which application source you want to use? Or does it control the *default* application source? Or something else entirely?
- Menus typically don't have radio buttons; unusual UX


Assuming this is really a "choose the default backend" control, I've attached a proposed mockup of a different UI that might be a bit more familiar and user-friendly.
Comment 1 Aleix Pol 2017-12-22 16:08:15 UTC
I think the mockup is too visually intrusive.
Can we maybe improve the wording? or add a tooltip that explains?
Comment 2 Nate Graham 2017-12-22 16:10:25 UTC
The real issue IMHO is that Discover's Settings page doesn't follow the visual or UX conventions for any other KDE application, and this odd menu is just a symptom of that broader issue. Let's start a broader discussion in the VDG or Discover Design telegram rooms.
Comment 3 Andres Betts 2017-12-22 16:52:24 UTC
What I feel needs to happen with this view first is to define each area that it is showing.

Make a selection between Flatpak, and what it is, more clear. Separate from other sources and explain the differences.

Add two boxes for flatpak and traditional sources instead of one with different headers.

On the left pane, I would move the "settings" line to the very bottom where most apps will have them.

I can also provide a mockup on this to make the idea clear.
Comment 4 Nate Graham 2017-12-22 20:24:13 UTC
Created attachment 109485 [details]
Mockup (single source)

After a few rounds of design work in the Discover Design Telegram room, we came up with some new mockups. This one shows the UI when there is only a single backend (in this case my Ubuntu 17.10 package repositories).
Comment 5 Nate Graham 2017-12-22 20:26:44 UTC
Created attachment 109486 [details]
Mockup (multiple sources)

And here's the proposed UI when there are multiple sources--in this case, Flathub and Ubuntu 17.10 package repos. One source becomes the default (marked with "Default Source"), and all the other sources gain a "Make Default" button. A source jumps or animates to the top of the list when it's made the default.
Comment 6 andreas 2017-12-22 22:15:30 UTC
Created attachment 109489 [details]
Discover Setting Layout

The idea is to have a consistent layout so also the settings section has the same layout than the app section.
Comment 7 Nate Graham 2017-12-22 22:17:32 UTC
Feel free to ignore my mockups; I like Andreas' more.
Comment 8 Aleix Pol 2017-12-28 13:03:39 UTC
see https://phabricator.kde.org/D9517
Comment 9 Nate Graham 2017-12-28 16:56:12 UTC
https://cgit.kde.org/discover.git/commit/?id=c8d5c23de57ca653d4442f8369b72251410e028b is a really good start.
Comment 10 Aleix Pol 2017-12-29 12:49:00 UTC
I'd consider it resolved for now. Let's oppen specific issues about anything that may arise.
Comment 11 Nate Graham 2017-12-29 14:40:35 UTC
OK, I will file additional bugs/submit patches for any subsequent requested tweaks.